Re: Is HPISD Getting Big Brother-ish?
Here is the scoop from Helen Williams regarding the cash payments in the HPMS cafeteria.
I talked with our food services coordinator, and here are some of the details:1. By having the students enter their ID numbers, parents are able to see what their children are buying in the cafeteria. Parents of K-4 students are already able to do this in Dinerite.2. Parents will be able to confirm that their students are spending their lunch money in the cafeteria.3. The information also helps the cafeteria manager track inventory and determine what is selling and what is not.4. The information acts as an accounting resource to track how students are paying and to track cash in a systematic way.Reports are that the lines are getting shorter, and we thank parents & students for their patience as we introduce this new system.
By Merritt Patterson
Aug. 25, 2010 | 5:54 pm | 27 Comments | Comments RSS
27 comments to "Re: Is HPISD Getting Big Brother-ish?"
There is no reason to have to produce an ID number for a cash transaction. These parents dont even realize they are using Skyward…They think by not deposting money, they are not in the system. I’m sorry, but who else has access to this data? On the Skyward website they talk about creating reports – will our personal data be included? Can we opt out?
This is the ultimate helicopter parenting.
the only valid reason is #3. To track inventory.
AND my elementary kid uses a different number that is not his SASI number. Why can’t MIS do that too?
My daughter had her SASI number on her hand today in big black marker. Super safe! If that is really her password to the computer system, it is silly to use it in the lunch room too.
http://www.skyward.com/DeptDocs/Marketing/Public%20Website/Product_Briefs/Food_Service.pdf
The powers that be also added these security guards at the HS that do nothing but watch the kids enter the school in the morning, and got rid of the really nice police officer that directed traffic at the staff parking lot on Douglas.
But #1 and #2 is information I get from my kids when I ask them. I expect them to tell me the truth and I don’t need to double check it. The trouble with having the type of information in #1 and #2 available to the parents is that it is just one programming session away from being able to be accessed by “food counselors”. I can see, in this age of [fill in the blank], how this information can be co-opted by the [again fill in the blank] without the parents knowledge or consent. This of course would be in an effort to change patterns of behavior or limit choices in order to achieve the goal of [once more fill in the blank]. I am trying to avoid any system that moves in the direction of “private info available to unauthorized people”, with unauthorized defined as anyone besides myself.
I do think that the Skyward system is head and shoulders over the yellow cards. If you like the ability to see what your kids are eating it is great. Some people aren’t concerned as much with that information and would just as well not have their kid’s eating habits available to anyone.
The money management aspect of cash cannot be overstated. The late Ron Blue, a precursor to Dave Ramsey, said that even the use of a debit card instead of cash would increase your spending by 30%. A debit card is the same as the dinerite or skyward account. Both my son and daughter are good at managing their lunch money and I think that is a step towards self-sufficiency. Personal opinion.
However, my guess is the students are being forced to enter their numbers so that everyone will eventually use the system. If you have to enter the number anyway, why bring cash? Cuts down on SOME cash control issues as well as the time spent running back and forth to the bank for the staff.
By the way, we all pretty much know what our kids are eating at the HS. They sell burgers, fried chicken, pizza, fettucine alfredo, cookies and yogurt with various toppings. Although there is are healthier options, don’t think the brussel sprouts are flying out of the there. If you look at the menu, sound nutrition is not the first thing that comes to mind. If I am worried about my kid spending their lunch money elsewhere, I’ll take that up with my kid without the assistance of the HPISD system. When you give $20 to go to the movies, who’s tracking that for you?
As for food inventory, I believe that’s a stretch. If it doesn’t sell, they simply don’t prepare it. The menu doesn’t change enough for this one to be an issue. If we’re worried about accounting cash controls, the system won’t solve that problem without making some other changes in procedures that aren’t in place as it is. You have to balance a cash drawer to control cash, kids.
However. Entering an ID to pay cash is nothing less than the ridiculous excercise you go through at Nordstroms, Aveda and when getting a to-go order (in-person) from Olivellas. There is no need for the extra step. And no one should require a shred of my information to take cash for a simple purchase.
Also, I think we should be teaching kids to guard their PINs and other personal information like never before.
This is another situation that would be a slam dunk score for HPISD if they just did one of two things:
1. Say to the parents, “You guys are right, there’s no need so we’re changing it up a tad.”
2. Provide a full list of every person that has the slightest bit of access to the information (teachers etc.) and a list of every single detailed thing they (and Skyward) are using it for.
I’m freaking out about the kids with the numbers on their arms –
James Tucker – can you go up there and tell them to fix this???
Went to the skyward website… the biometric option is even scarier (fingerprints)
Would most of you MIS/HPMS people be happy if they changed all the access numbers to something other than their SASI number and also made a new generic number for cash purchases?
Agree with the logistics comments, knowing what is ordered and when is important, but knowing who is ordering is irrelevant for a school cafeteria.
Just like the Queue lane, they seemed to have confused process with efficiency. Processes should lead to and support efficiency, not 25 minute lines/ waits.
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I had a Mom, not a school introduce me to the joys of Brussel Sprouts which to this day when I eat them I think of her.
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